Ship&#39;s steering-gear.



.mivins nrorrenn CLAY,

or B'ooTLE, ENGLAND.

sures surname-GEAR.

nine een.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 1914 Application filed February 11, 1913. Serial No. 747,744.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES RICHARD CLAY, subject of the King of England, residing/ at Beetle, in the county'of Lancaster, Engr i land, have invented'newiand useful Improvements Connected with "S-hips Steering- Gear, of which the following is a specification, i

This invention has reference to mechanism or machinery used on board ship for steering, wherein there is employed a lock ing means or mechanism by which the part connected, with the steering gear, operated by the quartermaster, is prevented from being moved in the wrong way, 'on receiving an order from the man in charge of the ship; and it has for its object to provide an improved arrangement and-construction of such machinery or mechanism for preventing mishaps-takingaplace by .the orders not being carried out. H

In the steering gear of a ship having locking or preventive means operated by the commander Or navigator of the ship,

; this looking or preventive means, namely a pawl and ratchet mechanism, is combined with the pillar or stand on which the handwheel of a power steering gear is mounted; that is to say, this locking or preventive means is arranged and combined on the piliar or stand carrying mechanism which is operatedv by the uartermaster and which through shafting and gearing extending to the steering engine produces motion which "E is transmitted to the valve gear controlling the working and running of the steering engine, placed at the aft part of the ship; and when-the captain, pilot, or other-navigator of the ship gives a steering order from one direction or the other, he actuates the means or mechanism referred to operated by the uartermaster, and this operates a part or device in connection with this means or mechanism whereby it can only be turned or movedand the steering eugine started and run-in that direction which is ordered, and the mbans or apparatus in charge of the navigator has been moved or set. This means or mechanism is illustrated in the drawings, in Figs. 1,

and 8; Fig. 1 being a longitudinal sectional elevation, and Fig. 2 an end view of the means; while Fig. 3 shows a slightly modified construction; and the invention by the aid of these 1 be further described drawings.

. pgnnected Alever l- (or an equivalent hand actuating meam) is employed on or near the bridge say, andis connected by means of a. shaft 2 with the apparatus or mechanism operated by the quartermaster, situated generally in the wheelhouse nearthe bridge, whlch mechanism consists of a steering wheel 3, mounted on a shaft 4, beveled Wheels 5, 6, and shafting 7 which extends as usual to the valve operating gear of the steering engine; the beveled wheels 5 and vertical part of the shafting 7 being carried in the hollow column 8, which also supports the hand-wheel shaft 4:.

The locklng or preventive means shown cons sts of pawls 9, 10, hinged at 11 working 1n connection with two ratchet. wheels 12, 13, with oppositely inclined teeth; the pawls 9, 10, being disposed on theopposite sldes of these wheels and operating 1n con neotion with them. The pawls 9, 10, are connected together by a link 14, which is I to the shaft 2 by an arm 15; and through this arm, motion of the lever 1 is transmitted to the pawls 9, 10;.this motion ofthe lever 1 being transmitted to the shaft 2 through a connecting link 16, and an arm 17 on the shaft 2.

The pawls 9, 10, are-so arranged that when one 1s in engagement with, one of the ratchet wheels 12 or 13', theother is out.

Thus, by this means, prevention of mishaps of the kind referred to is assured.

In connection with the steering wheel 3, and mechanism, an indicating finger, such as 18, working over a' dial at the top of the column 8 may be used, so as-to indicate by the movement of the parts operated by the I navigator or commander, the direction in which he has moved the direction appara-- tus in hischarge, and which has, by this I act, operated the looking or preventive mechanism referred to. A means of any known suitable kind may be employed in connection with the apparatus, by which the hand lever 1 will be normally pressed and held to and in either the port or starb0ard position.

In some cases, -instead of employing mechanical means .for'efi'ecting the actions referred to, it may be done by electrical means, worked say by a lever, as 1, or its equivalent; suitablef contacts and electric magnetic devices being employed to actuate the lockin or preventive mechanism connected with t e steering apparatus. Or again, 1t-- the-locking or preventive mechanism may Wm s. c .541

he effected by a pneumatic operating device, or a hydraulic opera-ting device, and in such a case, it would be actuated by the lever l or its equivalent, substantially similarly as the mechanical apparatus s own in the drawings.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3 the lev'er l is directly mounted on the shaft 2, and the pawl device 9, 10, is in one, and mounted on the shaft 2 and has two pawl joints proper. Its action and effect is pre-. eisely similar to that of the apparatus shown in 1 and 2.

The apparatus as will be understood, will be used in conjunction with an ordinary steering telegraphic apparatus, between the bridge or place of command; and the wheel house or place of the steering gear wheel.

i /eat I claim is 1. Steering gear of a ship comprising in con ation a steering gear; a spindle fitted with a hand wheel for operating the gear, and with a pair of ratchet wheels having teeth oppositely "ruled; a pair of connected pawls dispo: on opposite sides of thesaid spindle am, oh engaging with one 1 of the ratchet Wilt, mechanism connected with the parand means connected with the lever mechanism for operating the l same, and for moving the pawls to and from the ratchet wheels, substantially as described.

2. Steering gear of a ship, comprising in combination a steering ear; a pillar or stand 8 fitted with a spindle t and separate from the steering gear; a hand wheel 3 mounted on the spindle on the pillar'or stand, for controlling the steering ear from a distance; oppositely arrange ratchet toothed wheels as 12, 13 on the wheel spindle; oppositely disposed pawls, as 9, 10 carried on pivots, and respectively placed on the oppositesides of said wheels and connected together; and a lever for simultaneously moving the said pawl's upon their pivots toward and away from the ratchet wheels, by the lever being adapted to be operated by the commander or navigator from the bridge or place of command; substantially as herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES RICHARD CLAY. 

